1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a method and apparatus for integrated wavelength tunable single and two-stage all-optical wavelength converter.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The current usage of optical components and lasers has made communications and data transfer more efficient and more cost effective. The use of semiconductor lasers has made the fabrication and packaging of optical sources more cost effective, as well as reducing the size of the overall device.
However, the requirements for communications and data transfer systems have also increased. Widely tunable lasers are essential components for a wide variety of wavelength-division multiplexing (WDM) and packet switching network architectures. They can be used as replacement sources in long haul dense WDM communication systems or for wavelength routing in access networks. They are also important devices for next generation phased array radar systems that use true-time delay beam steering. There is a need in such systems for stable monolithic integrated optical frequency converters, but until now none have been available.